Simone Askew Becomes First Black Woman To Serve As West Point First Captain

Source: 2nd Lt. Austin Lachance

Simone Askew is now the first black woman to ever be appointed to serve as First Captain at West Point.

In a report from the Washington Post, Askew will serve as first captain of the Corps of Cadets during the upcoming academic year and will be "responsible for the overall performance" of the West Point cadets, of which there are over 4,000 of them.

"Simone truly exemplifies our values of Duty, Honor, Country," Brig. Gen. Steven W. Gilland, commandant of cadets, said in a release. "Her selection is a direct result of her hard work, dedication, and commitment to the Corps over the last three years. I know Simone and the rest of our incredibly talented leaders within the Class of 2018 will provide exceptional leadership to the Corps of Cadets in the upcoming academic year."

Outside of her forthcoming role as First Captain, Askew has been a recipient of the Black Engineer of the Year Award for Military Leadership and holds the highest female Recondo score during Combat Field Training II for the class of 2018.

READ: Bareneise Dixon Becomes First-Ever Black Woman Major At Alabama Police Department

Earlier this year, a police department in Alabama elected its first-ever African-American female major.

Bareneise Dixon, a 28-year law-enforcement veteran who got her start as a police operator in Saraland, Alabama, was promoted from captain to major at Mobile, Alabama's police department.

Source: washingtonpost.com